The Media Line Speaks to Sderot Residents as Rockets Rain
Residents of Sderot share their experiences and challenges amid a barrage of rockets from Gaza, as The Media Line reporters capture the palpable tension and fear in the city
The Israeli military and Palestinian Islamic Jihad forces engaged in heavy cross-border fire on Wednesday, with hundreds of rockets launched from Gaza toward Israel following deadly IDF strikes on Islamic Jihad targets in the strip. This escalation occurred a day after Israeli airstrikes killed three Palestinian militant leaders and 10 other Palestinians in Gaza, prompting threats of retaliation.
The Israel Defense Forces reported that as of 9:30 pm, 469 rockets and mortars had been shot at Israel. Of these, more than 330 crossed the border, with the Iron Dome and David’s Sling air defense systems intercepting 153 rockets. Some rockets passed through the defenses, landing in urban areas and causing damage, while others landed in open areas without harm.
The IDF said it carried out strikes against 133 targets belonging to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. At least six Palestinians were killed in Wednesday’s airstrikes, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The Media Line’s Michael Sfaradi and Dario Sanchez were in Sderot Wednesday to gather the firsthand accounts of residents and hear how they were holding up. The small Israeli city near the Gaza Strip border has faced an intense barrage of rockets from Palestinian armed groups over the past day, and the tension and fear in the area are palpable.
A cease-fire negotiated through Egyptian mediation began at 9 pm, providing a brief respite, but it only lasted about an hour and a half before rockets started being fired again toward Israeli communities near the Gaza border.
